Dampening device for press-copying



(No Model.)

W. S.'HAMPSHER. DAMPBNING DEVICE FOR PRESS COPYING. 'No. 656,265.

Patented Mar. 1 0, 1 896.

INVENTOR fl @fif 4M WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

. UNITED STATES PATENT FricE.

TVALLACE STEVENS HAMPSHER, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEV YORK.-

DAIVIPENING DEVICE FOR PRESS-COPYING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,265, dated March10, 1896.

Application filed October 2,1895.

T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALLACE STEVENS HAMPSHER, of Mount Vernon, in thecounty of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new andImproved Dampening Device for Press-Copying, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved dampeningdevice designed for use in press-copying and arranged to enable theoperator to conveniently moisten the sheets used in press-copying, sothat the said sheets are in proper condition for work.

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations ofthe same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out inthe claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view of the improvement, and Fig. 2is a reduced sectional side elevation of the same as arranged under thecopying-press for removing the surplus moisture from the sheets.

The improved dampening device is provided with a tray A adapted to holda moistening liquid, such as water, and in the tray is placed a block B,made of wood or other porous material and extending with its top asuitable distance above the level of the liquid contained in the tray,as indicated in Fig. 2. Sidewise motion of the block B within the trayA'is prevented by transverse guidingstrips 0, secured on the bottom ofthe tray and placed a suitable distance from the sides thereof, asplainly indicated in the drawings, it being understood, however, thatthe said strips do not prevent the liquid from passing to the block 13.On the top of the latter are placed the sheets D to be moistened, thesaid sheets being preferably of canvas, but blotting-paper and the likemay be used.

Now it willbe seen that the liquid contained in the tray A is, bycapillary attraction of the block B, passed upon the sheets D, so thatthe latter are moistened. When it is desired to use the sheets D in thecopying-press, a presser plate or cover E is first placed upon thesheets and pressed downward, so as to squeeze out any surplus moisturecontained Serial No. 5 64,364:- (No model) in the sheets, and thissurplus moisture flows down into the tray back to the liquid containedin the tray. The said cover or presserplate E is made with its oppositesides inclined or tapered toward its outer edges, and when in use thelower portions of said in clined faces of said cover will stand, as seenin Fig. 2, slightly below the upper edge of the marginal rim of the panA, so that water may be poured upon said inclined faces of the cover soas to run down into the pan and fill the same without necessitating theremoval of the cover and without disengaging the canvas sheets heldunder the same. If desired, one of the sheets D maybe extended over aside of the block B to pass down into the liquid contained in the tray,so that the liquid is drawn up by capillary attraction in the sheetinstead of the block, and thelatter consequently may be made of anon-porous material.

The guides 0 do not extend up above the block 13, so that they are notengaged by the cover E when the sheets are pressed and dried. @Vere saidguides arranged to project above said blocks they would be likely to bebent over by contact with the said cover E.

In order to properly press the cover E, I prefer to place the entiredampening device under a copying-press F of the usual construction, sothat the operator upon screwing down the plate F engages and presses thecover E, so as to properly squeeze out any surplus moisture contained inthe sheets D. If desired, the sheets D placed on the block B maybedirectlymoistened by pouring water over the said sheets and thenapplying the plate E and squeezing out the surplus water contained inthe sheets, in the manner above described.

It will be seen that this device is very simple and durable inconstruction, and enables the operator to quickly and convenientlymoisten the sheets D, so that the latter are in a proper condition foruse in the copyingpress. I

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- A dampening device for use in press-copying,comprising a tray having a raised marginal rim and adapted to receivewater, a

block held in said tray and adapted to supmarginal edges of the saidpun, substantially port the sheets to he moistened, and a cover as setforth. adapted to fit in the tray over the sheets on U i said block,said cover being provided along ALMLL bl UL HAM] 5 its opposite sideswith inclined or beveled \Vitnesses:

surfaces, the lower portions of which are ar- THEO. G. IIOSTER, rangedbelow and adjacent to the opposite .TNO. M. BITTER.

